Replacing Gunnedah Courthouse’s dated audio-visual equipment could be one of the keys to helping boost police resources, Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson says.
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Mr Anderson inspected the courthouse on Tuesday where he found the audio-visual equipment “looked like something out of my loungeroom in the 1970s”.
A large box-shaped TV sits above the courtroom and the magistrate’s monitor is a small, grey box.
Mr Anderson said he is seeking state government funding for new equipment that will allow visual links between correctional centres around the country and Gunnedah.
The link, in use in many courthouses nationwide, would replace the need for police to transport people to and from Tamworth in a variety of situations.
“This would keep police in Gunnedah on the streets and doing the job they want to do instead of playing taxi for crooks,” Mr Anderson said.
“It takes police an hour to get to Tamworth, about half an hour to get the person in custody, an hour to drive back, and then they have to sit in court for anything up to five hours.
“Then they have to drive back.”
Mr Anderson said the audio-visual system would link directly to the correctional centre where people apprehended in Gunnedah were taken. Gunnedah has no overnight custody facilities.
People could make their plea from Tamworth, or elsewhere in the country, instead of being transported to Gunnedah, sometimes several times, before sentencing.
Mr Anderson said the link would also mean an end to children having to face an offender directly in court.
“This would absolutely help those victims who are traumatised by facing the offender again,” he said.
The equipment could cost about $50,000 to $60,000.
Mr Anderson said he had met with NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton last week to discuss upgrades to NSW courthouses and an increase in sitting times around the state.
The audio-visual link was installed at Tamworth’s district court last year.
Mr Anderson said he told Ms Upton that his discussions with Gunnedah police had led him to believe updating Gunnedah’s equipment could make a real difference in policing in the area.
“She said to get down here and inspect the courthouse and report back to her what was needed,” he said.
“I will take my findings back to the Attorney-General and look at what we can do.”
Policing in Gunnedah surfaced as a significant issue ahead of the state government election last year.
NSW Police have knocked back calls for 24-hour policing in the region, saying it is not required.
The NSW government has, however, agreed to a significant overhaul of the Gunnedah Police Station.
NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said in Gunnedah recently he could not put a timeframe on the start of work on what could be a $5 million upgrade, but more information would be made public “in the near future”.
The current station is 50 years old, leaks and has structural problems.
Mr Anderson said last year he led a public push for an upgraded station to assist in providing facilities for a greater police presence in Gunnedah.